04/07/2013

3 european jazz bands here at PG Special
Agent. All
of them with unique style, story and history.Their music is as
inspirational

as it is full of vitality.

Here
you will find a short introduction to them. Tracks, biographical details, confirmed gigs + much more. Enjoy their world of
music, and please do get in touch for any further info or booking
request. A full list of for 2014 artists will soon be updated here on the site.

With
roots both in the Scandinavian and the european jazzscene, Equilibrium is a marvelous
trio feat. Danish guitarist Mikkel Ploug, Belgian reed player
Joachim badenhorst and singer/ keys is the amazing Sissel Vera
Pettersen from Norway.

Equilibrium
synthesise elements of jazz, folk/world, classical, minimalism and
the avant-garde in a mixture of free improvisation and original
compositions.The group has received critical acclaim from all over
the world for the two studio albums ”Equilibrium” and ”Walking
Voices” both out on Canadian label Songlines Recordings. The trio
is made up of Norwegian vocalist/saxophonist Sissel Vera Pettersen
who has worked with the likes of: Chick Corea, Marylin Mazur, Marc
Ducret. Danish guitarist Mikkel Ploug, known for his work with
saxophonists Mark Turner and Loren Stillman. Belgian reed player
Joachim Badenhorst who plays with the Han Bennik trio and with Tony
Malaby’s Novola, and on Downbeats HOT LIST 2013 They are currently working on a new album due to release in 2014 via Songlines Recordings.

“…you
can get a feeling of elevation, maybe even levitation. It’s that
stunning…my favorite record of the year so far.” –
Mark Saleski, Jazz.com

Han
Bennink was recently awarded The Skoda Jazz Award at Jazz
Ahead. The 4th artist to be awarded the honour. For
decades now Han Bennink has drummed himself through all jazz styles
with esprit and humour.

“Han
Bennink is one of the most individual and stylistically open
personalities of jazz of the past 40 years, a humoristic and vivid
synthesis of the arts.” jazzahead!’s artistic
directors Peter Schulze and Uli Beckerhoff agree.

Together
with Danish pianist Simon Toldam and, yes again Joachim Badenhorst
on reed, they have started this exciting trio. In the
summer of 2008 Han formed the first band carrying his own name; Han
Bennink Trio with Joachim Badenhorst and Simon Toldam. The trio has
since its birth performed several very succesfull concerts across
Europe and released their debut-album PARKEN in 2009. An album that has become one
of Ilk Music absolute bestsellers. In 2012 their 2nd release ”Bennink
& Co” also on Ilk Music.

The
music has a very broad spectre of qualities and ranges from regular
songs to taking off in adventurous abstract improvisations. The space
between these extremities, is where Han Bennink Trio finds the joy of
playing music.

Limits
in jazz do not exist for 70 year old Han Bennink and that’s mainly
the reason why he has played with the world’s giants, everywhere
across the globe. Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, Eric Dolphy, Derek
Bailey, Cecil Taylor – to name a few – and not the least the
collaboration through 50 years with fellow dutch free spirit Misha
Mengelberg.

Now
Bennink has found two young musicians who share the same free spirit:

Joachim
Badenhorst (b.1981) is impressive in his versatility: he knows a wide
variety of the jazz history; ranging from the Ellington horn section
to as far as free jazz exponents such as Evan Parker. And on top of
all he has a strikingly beautiful tone on both clarinet and
bassclarinet.

He
has received several prices in Belgium, and moved recently to NY on a
3 years artist-visa.

Simon
Toldam (b.1979) is the one who sends the music in different
directions with his witty interventions. He is a controlled player,
who adds sublte sound-colors and restricts his playing to what the
composition really needs. Sometimes a chord or a few solitary notes,
on other moments using thick, dark clusters. He is an empathic player
who reacts freely and originally to his fellow musicians.He has
received 4 grammies in Denmark.

I
got into this band via drummer Emanuele
Maniscalco.
He recently moved here to Copenhagen to finish his degree in Music.
His solo projects and earlier various groups attached and moved me,
and I think that this young trio has much to give and surprise you
with for the future.

Each
band member brings own compositions, always conceived as material for
multiple, unpredictable developments, and with individual stylistic
connotations: the music of Roberto is, in fact, minimal, based on a
delicate and introverted kind of “tone vs harmony” approach;
Nicolas uses more rhythmic parameters, while Emanuele melodic ones.
The contemporary jazz lesson (from Brooklyn to northern Europe)
finds in this ensemble its personal response, unitary and aware of
its influences and references. There is no need to impress audiences,
but over time, the need of waiting for the ideal sound for every
moment explored. The search for wonder without any fixed pattern
manifests itself in depth. Recent Reviews:Le Courrier, SwitzerlandAll About Jazz, USA

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